Water Quality

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to

be surprised ”
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of
that comes from bad judgment”
Will this Reduce the Water Quality?

Maybe
YES!
?
• WATER IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS THE ONLY NATURAL SUBSTANCE
THAT IS FOUND IN ALL THREE PHYSICAL STATES
LIQUID,
SOLID, AND
GAS
• AT THE TEMPERATURES NORMALLY FOUND ON EARTH.
• WATER IS CALLED THE "UNIVERSAL SOLVENT"
BECAUSE IT DISSOLVES MORE SUBSTANCES THAN ANY
OTHER LIQUID.
• THIS MEANS THAT WHEREVER WATER GOES, EITHER
THROUGH THE GROUND OR THROUGH OUR BODIES, IT
TAKES ALONG VALUABLE CHEMICALS, MINERALS, AND
NUTRIENTS.
• PURE WATER HAS A NEUTRAL PH OF 7, WHICH IS
NEITHER ACIDIC (<7) NOR BASIC (>7).
 Quality determines its Usage

 Water has its own taste, color, smell and

constituents.
 Not all water can be used for all purposes.
 Eg. Sea water can not be used by us for drinking.
 The suitability of water for different purposes is
determined by its quality parameters.
 Quantity and Quality

 On an average, each person in a developed country

uses about 260 liters of water a day in the home.
 The Quality of water is equally important than
quantity.
 Even if present in huge amounts, we can not use
salt water in many life support activities.
 Characteristics of Water
 Water is a good solvent
 Water never occurs in its pure form
 All waters contain some dissolved substances
 The quality of water is determined by these
substances.
 It has the ability to dissolve many inorganic and
organic substances.
WATER QUALITY PROPERTIES
Common Groundwater Solutes
Common Groundwater Solutes
Common Groundwater Solutes
 Water Quality Parameters

Water has its own

• Physical properties

• Chemical composition

• Biological Properties
 Physical Properties
 Temperature
 Colour
 Odor
 Turbidity
 Electrical Conductivity
 Temperature (T) of Water
 Essential for all environmental studies
 Controls many ecological processes including
chemical reactions.
 T of surface water varies from space and time
 T of groundwater varies not only with reference to
space and time but also with reference to depth.
 Temperature (T) of Water
 Measured using Thermometers
 It ranges from 0 to 100 degree Celsius
 Unit of measurement is degree Celsius
 The temperature of Surface water is influenced by the
atmospheric conditions.
 The temperature of groundwater is controlled by the
thermal characteristics of bedrocks and the depth.
 Color of Water
 The color of water is due to the suspended particles
and organic matter.
 Ranges form light to dark brown.
 Brownish color in water comes due to the presence of
iron.
 Greenish color in pond water is seen due to the
presence of organic substances including algae.
 Odor
 Pure water is odorless
 When water dissolves other substances, the odor is
determined by them.
 Mostly decayed organic substances give fouling smell
 Inorganic substances give earthy smell
 Should be done in situ or within 5 mins. of sample
collection.
 Turbidity
 Comes due to suspended particles from clay, silt and
organic matter
 Controls the transparency of water
 Transparency is measured using Secchi Disc
 Water Turbidity is measured using Nephelometer
 Is measured by the amount of light that is scattered by
the sample
 Electrical Conductivity(EC)
 Ability of a substance to conduct an electrical current.
 The presence of charged ionic species makes water
conductive.
 It is measured using EC meters.
 Directly related to temperature of water.
 Unit of measurement is mmhos/cm at std temperatures.
Ranges from 100-1,00,000
 Pure water is less conductive
Taste
Do this at your own risk
Often done at treatment plants
 TESTING WATER QUALITY
CHEMICAL PARAMETERS BY DAVIS ET AL.(2005)

• PH • INDUSTRIAL WASTES
• SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE • ALKALINITY
• NUTRIENTS • PHARMACEUTICALS
• NITRATES • SURFACTANTS
• PHOSPHATES
• OXYGEN
• HEAVY METALS
• ETC……..
• PESTICIDES
• HERBICIDES
How to test
Chemical Parameters

• Potential Hydrogen (PH): Tested using Reagents or

Calibrated Electronic Meters (CEM)

𝑝𝐻=𝑙𝑜𝑔10 ¿
 How to test
Chemical Parameters

• Specific Conductance
• Is a measure of the salinity of the
water, the more ions in the water
the more conductive it is
• This is usually measured using a
CEM in the field
 How to test
Chemical Parameters

• Nutrients: Tested for in a Spectrophotometer

• Nitrates
• Phosphates
• Samples of water are taken back to a lab (or
mobile lab) where specific volumes of the sample
reacts with a measured amount of reagent and
the change between the original samples light
scattering capacity and the regent mixed sample
gives the concentration of nutrients
 How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
• DO Meter measures the oxygen by how
much it dilutes the charge (electricity
Negative change, oxygen does not)
How to test
Chemical Parameters

Units

Parameter Unit
pH The pH Scale (no Unit)
Specific Conductance μS/cm – Microsiemens per Centimetre
Nitrates & Phosphates mg/l – Milligrams per litre
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ppm – Parts per million
Most Chemical Constituents Mass per volume of water
Testing Water Quality
Biological Parameters by Davis et al.(2005)

• bio-indicators
• These are large insects and animals that
live in the water body, if they are present
then the water must be of a certain
quality

• Bacterial Life (health concerns)

• E Coli
• Coliform Bacteria
 Testing Water Quality
Biological Parameters

• Bacterial life
1. A sample is taken
2. Kept cool and away from exterior
contamination
3. Brought back to the lab ASAP
4. Sample is shaken to allow for minimum
settling
5. Sample is added to agar plate (pour or scrape)
6. Plate is incubated for 24 to 48 hours
7. Count the colonies of bacteria
Thank You for Listening

Any Questions?